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<title>The Laboratory for Perceptual Robotics</title>
<!WA0><img src="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/images/large/home-page-logo.gif">
<p>
<hr SIZE=10>

<h2>Welcome</h2>

<!WA1><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/sound/welcome.au"><!WA2><img src="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/icons/sound.xbm"></a>

The Laboratory for Perceptual Robotics (LPR)
is in the <!WA3><a href="http://www.cs.umass.edu/">Computer Science Department</a>
here at <!WA4><a href="http://www.umass.edu/">UMass</a>.  You
can find specific information here about LPR <!WA5><a href="#Research">research</a>, 
<!WA6><a href="#Facilities">facilities</a>,
<!WA7><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/publications.html">publications</a>, <!WA8><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/Personnel.html">personnel</a>,
<!WA9><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/cgi-bin/demo-setup">demos</a>,
<!WA10><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/announce.html">announcements</a>, <!WA11><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/events.html">events</a>, and <!WA12><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/bib.html">bibliography
information</a>.
The Laboratory for Perceptual Robotics research areas include
dexterous manipulation (reaching and grasping), mobile robot
navigation, geometric reasoning, assembly planning, and the
application of learning theory to robotics.  Some of the pages below
contain mpeg movies of various robotics lab demos.  These are marked with
this icon: <!WA13><img src="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/icons/movie.xbm" align=top>

<p>
If you want to skip the technical details, visit our <!WA14><a
href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/video-gallery.html">Video Page</a> (bring your own popcorn).
You can also take a free-form <!WA15><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/tour/hallway.html">tour</a> of the lab, or
you can start with the <!WA16><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/tour/map.html">local map</a> of the lab.
In addition, we maintain an <!WA17><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/robotics.html">internet resources page</a> for robotics.
<p>
<h3><!WA18><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/whats-new.html">What's New</a> in the LPR pages.</h3>
<p>
We also have a <!WA19><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/UmassSubway/UmassSubway.html">Web Chart</a> linking other
Web pages here at UMass, and we have a <!WA20><a
href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/copyright.html">copyright</a>. 
<p>
<hr>

<CENTER><h1>Faculty</h1></CENTER>
<HR WIDTH=80 ALIGN="center" NOSHADE>
<P>
<P>
<CENTER>
<!WA21><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/~grupen/home.html"><H2>Prof. Rod Grupen, Co-director</H2></a>
<P><!WA22><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/~grupen/home.html"><!WA23><img src="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/images/faces/rod.gif"></a>
</CENTER>

<P>
<CENTER>
<!WA24><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/~pop/home.html"><H2>Prof. Robin Popplestone, Co-director</H2></a>
<P><!WA25><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/~pop/home.html"><!WA26><img src="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/images/faces/robin.gif"></a>
</CENTER>
<P>
<!WA27><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/Personnel.html">Other Laboratory Personnel</a>


<p>
<hr>

<!WA28><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/new_overview.html"><h2>Purpose</h2></a>

<p>The Laboratory for Perceptual Robotics (LPR), under the direction
of Professors Rod Grupen and Robin Popplestone, and the Center for
Automated, Real-Time Systems (CARTS) at the University of
Massachusetts is focused on new technologies to control robots in
uncertain and unstructured environments. These efforts include
techniques for <!WA29><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/new_overview.html#Interpret">acquiring</a>
geometric information on-line, sensor-based systems for 
<!WA30><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/new_overview.html#Control_Basis"> robot
manipulator control </a> and mobile platform <!WA31><a
href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/new_overview.html#Navigation">navigation</a>, methods for reacting to
sensor information during assembly operations, geometric reasoning</a> for
automated <!WA32><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/new_overview.html#Assembly_Manufacturing">assembly
planning</a>,
and adaptive controllers which <!WA33><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/new_overview.html#Peg-in-Hole">acquire
skill</a> in assembly tasks<a name="Facilities">.</a>
<p>
<hr>

<!WA34><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/more-facilities.html"><h2>Facilities</h2></a>

The Laboratory for Perceptual Robotics is equipped with two General
Electric P50 robots, two <!WA35><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/zen/A4-1.html">GE A4s</a>, a Zebra
Zero, and a customized MRI 
mobile platform.  In addition, the P50s are fitted with a 4-fingered
<!WA36><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/p50/utah-mit-hand.html">Utah/MIT</a> and a 3-fingered
Salisbury dexterous hand, respectively.  The lab includes
VxWorks/VME-based distributed controllers and an experimental
real-time kernel (Spring kernel).

<p>
<!WA37><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/handarm.html"><!WA38><img src="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/images/faces/handarm.gif"
ALIGN=left HSPACE=20></a>   P50 robot equipped  
with the Utah/MIT hand (click to enlarge).  This robot is used for <!WA39><a
href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/coarse.html">coarse reaching</a> and <!WA40><a
href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/grasp.html">grasping</a> research (see those pages for mpeg
movies). 
<BR CLEAR=left>

<p>
<!WA41><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/isaac.html"><!WA42><img src="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/images/faces/isaac.gif" ALIGN=left HSPACE=20></a> MRI mobile platform.
<BR CLEAR=left>

<p>
<!WA43><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/zebra.html"><!WA44><img src="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/images/faces/zebra.gif" ALIGN=left HSPACE=20></a>   Zebra Zero robot with force sensor.  This robot is used for contact assembly planning and learning.
<BR CLEAR=left>

<p>
<!WA45><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/thing/thing.html"><!WA46><img src="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/thing/thing1_small2.jpeg" ALIGN=left 
HSPACE=20></a>Thing is a four legged twelve degree of freedom walking robot.
<BR CLEAR=left>
<p>

<!WA47><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/head/head.html"><!WA48><img src="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/head/head-small.jpg" ALIGN=left
HSPACE=20></a>Our stereohead has four mechanical degrees of freedom
and each lens has three optical degrees of freedom.  We are
investigating the use of the head to acquire course object models and
to assist in assembly tasks.
<BR CLEAR=left>

<p>
<hr>

<a name="Research"><h2>Research</h2></a>

Research conducted at the lab includes:
<UL>
<LI>	controller composition for coordinating multiple robots
<LI>	<!WA49><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/grasp.html">grasp planning</a>
<LI>	geometric reasoning for robust assembly & fine motion control
<LI>	<!WA50><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/new_overview.html#Peg-in-Hole">learning admittance control</a> and path optimization
<LI>	<!WA51><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/biology.html">biological models</a> of motor planning
<LI>	proprioceptive, tactile, & visual model acquisition
<LI>	<!WA52><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/coarse.html">motion planning, coarse reaching</a>
<LI>	state-space decomposition
<li> <!WA53><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/~huber/rob_carts/rob_carts.html">flexible manufacturing</a> 
	(research done in the context of 
	<!WA54><a href="http://ciir.cs.umass.edu/info/cartsdir/index.html">CARTS</a>)
<LI> visual servoing for assembly
<LI> control of a stereo head
</UL>

The laboratory also engages in collaborative research with the
Computer Vision (A. Hanson, E. Riseman, directors) and Adaptive
Networks (A. Barto, director) groups within the department.  The lab
also interacts with the Spring Kernel group (J. Stankovic and
K. Ramamritham, directors) applying Spring Kernel concepts to
real-time control for Robotics.




<p>
<hr>

<ul>
<li><!WA55><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/lpr/info-pointers.html"><h2>More Information</h2></a>
<li><!WA56><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/lpr/outside-pointers.html"><h2>Related Web Pages</h2></a>
</ul>

<p>Would you care to sign our <!WA57><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/guestbook.html">Guest Book</a>?
Thanks for your <!WA58><a href="http://piglet.cs.umass.edu:4321/guests.html">comments</a>.
<p>
<hr>
Queries about this server and its pages may be directed to the local
webmaster at:
<p>
<!WA59><a href="mailto:http@piglet.cs.umass.edu">
<address>webmaster@piglet.cs.umass.edu</address>
</a>
<i>Last Update: October 19, 1995</i>


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